Salon chair with swivel footrest

ABSTRACT

A salon chair with a footrest is provided which swivels to a side to provide complete clearance for a user, especially an elderly or ambulatory-impaired person, to more easily get into and from a seated position in the salon chair. The footrest is pivotally attached to the seat of the salon chair and swings to the side. Once the user is seated the footrest may be swiveled into a foot support position in front of the salon chair.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of co-pending application Ser. No. 61/285,040, filed on Dec. 9, 2009, entitled SALON CHAIR WITH SWIVEL FOOTREST.

FIELD

The present invention relates generally to salon or styling chairs and, more particularly, to a footrest for a salon chair which may be swiveled or pivoted to a side.

BACKGROUND

Salon, styling or barber's chairs are widely used by beauticians, stylists, barbers and other individuals for performing a service for an individual seated in the chair. The conventional salon chair has a fixed footrest upon which the individual may rest his or her feet while seated in the chair. Some footrests include pivotally-mounted foot plates which may be pivoted up into a non-use position to allow the individual to more easily get into and from a seated position in the chair. After being seated in the chair, the foot plates may be pivoted downward to a horizontal position for foot support.

Chairs with fixed footrests present an obstacle to users with ambulatory problems, particularly the elderly, both getting into and out of these chairs. Even chairs with pivotally-mounted footrests present difficulties to elderly users attempting to navigate between the foot pads and positioning the foot pads between the non-use and horizontal positions.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a salon chair with a footrest which swivels to a side to provide complete clearance for a user, especially an elderly or ambulatory-impaired person, to more easily get into and from a seated position in the salon chair. Once the user is seated the footrest may be swiveled into a foot support position in front of the salon chair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the salon chair of the present invention with the footrest pivoted partially to the right of the chair:

FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view of the salon chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the salon chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the salon chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the salon chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged top plan view of a pivot assembly.

FIG. 7 is a right side view of the pivot assembly of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the pivot assembly of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the top plate.

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of the top plate.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the top plate with the stop attached.

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the pivot plate.

FIG. 13 is a side view of the pivot plate.

FIG. 14 is a bottom plan view of the pivot plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for the claims and/or as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

Moreover, except where otherwise expressly indicated, all numerical quantities in this description and in the claims are to be understood as modified by the word “about” in describing the broader scope of this invention. Practice within the numerical limits stated is generally preferred. Also, unless expressly stated to the contrary, the description of a group or class of materials as suitable or preferred for a given purpose in connection with the invention implies that mixtures or combinations of any two or more members of the group or class may be equally suitable or preferred.

Referring to the figures, a salon chair with a swivel footrest is generally indicated by reference numeral 10. Salon chair 10 includes a horizontal seat 12, an upright seat back 14 attached by supports 16 to the horizontal seat 12 and a pair of arms 18 extending from the upright seat back 14 to the horizontal seat 12.

The horizontal seat 12 is mounted to a pedestal 20. The pedestal 20 includes a base 22, a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 24 which drives a piston 26 to raise and lower the horizontal seat 12 by means of an operating lever 28. The upper end of piston 26 is rigidly attached to the horizontal seat 12 by conventional means not shown. The lower end of the piston 26 is rotatably supported within the cylinder 24 which in turn is supported by the base 22.

A footrest 30 is pivotally coupled to a bottom surface 31 of the horizontal seat 12 by bracket 33 and fasteners (not show). Footrest 30 includes a downwardly extending leg 32 and a foot pad 34 attached to the lower end of the leg 32. A spring-biased locking lever 36 releasably secures the footrest 30 in a forwardly extending position 38 and releases the footrest 30 to swivel or pivot to any number of generally laterally extending positions 40 and 42 (for example). Leg 32 may be a single fixed length member or may include means to adjust the length (not shown) to accommodate various lengths of user's legs.

When a user approaches the salon chair 10 to sit down the locking lever 36 may be activated to release the footrest 30 by pulling up or pushing down on the locking lever 36. The footrest 30 may now be pivoted to one side in a laterally extending position 40 or 42 to present a clear and unobstructed area in front of the salon chair 10. The user may now easily get into a seated position in the salon chair 10 with the footrest 30 and foot pad 34 out of the way. This is particularly important for users with decreased mobility or stability such as an elderly or ambulatory-impaired person. Additionally, the act of getting into a seated position requires the individual to turn around to sit down. With the footrest 30 and foot pad 34 out of the way, this action is more easily accomplished without the added difficulty of stepping over the footrest of a conventional salon chair or having to back into a salon chair with pivoting foot plates. With the footrest 30 pivoted to one side, the salon chair 10 becomes as safe as a regular chair for a user to get into and out of a seated position. This increased safety is advantageous to all users, not just users with decreased mobility or stability.

Once the user is seated, the footrest 30 may be pivoted to the forwardly extending position 38 to provide foot support for the user. Once pivoted to the forwardly extending position 38 the footrest 30 is automatically locked in place until released again by operation of the locking lever 36.

The pivoting footrest 30 may be provided with a new salon chair 10 or may be mounted to a conventional salon chair after removal of the fixed conventional footrest or pivoting foot plates and supporting structure. The pivoting footrest 30 may also be used with styling and barber's chairs.

Referring to FIGS. 6-14, a pivot assembly is generally indicated by reference numeral 50. The pivot assembly 50 includes a top plate 52, a pivot plate 54, and a handle 56. The top plate is mounted to the lower surface 31 of the horizontal seat 12. The top plate 52 includes an aperture 58 for receiving a pivot spud 60. The pivot spud 60 may be press fit or threadably received within the aperture 58. Aperture 58 is axially aligned with an aperture 62 in pivot plate 54. Aperture 58 is adapted to receive pivot spud 60. The diameter of aperture 58 is slightly larger than the diameter of pivot spud 60 so that the pivot plate 54 may freely rotate about the pivot spud 60. A retaining screw or fastener 64 passing through a washer 66 is threadably received within an aperture (not shown) in the lower end of the pivot spud 60. The retaining screw 64 may be tightened to hold the top plate 52 to the pivot plate 54. A thin layer of grease or other lubricant (not shown) may be applied to the lower surface 53 of the top plate 52 and the upper surface 55 of the pivot plate 54.

Top plate 52 includes a pair of apertures 68 through which fasteners (not shown) may pass to secure the top plate 52 to the lower surface 31 of the salon chair 10. Pivot plate 54 includes a pair of apertures 70 to receive fasteners (not shown) to secure the mounting bracket 33 to the pivot plate 54 and couple the leg 32 to the pivot plate 54.

A spring pin 72 including a spring biased head 74 is press fit or threaded into an aperture 76 through the lower surface 57 of the pivot plate 54 such that the head 74 of the spring pin 72 extends above the upper surface 55 of the pivot plate 54. A first aperture, depression or indent 78 in the lower surface 53 of the top plate 52 is in axial alignment with the aperture 76 in the pivot plate 54 when the plates 52 and 54 are in a first position. A second aperture, depression, or indent 80 in the lower surface 53 of the top plate 52 is in axial alignment with the aperture 76 in the pivot plate 54 when the pivot plate 52 is rotated to a second position. In the preferred embodiment, apertures 78 and 80 in the lower surface 53 of the top plate 52 are spaced ninety degrees apart along an arc 81 extending radially from the longitudinal axis of the pivot spud 60. It should be understood that additional apertures, depressions or indents may be included along the arc 81 and may be spaced more than ninety degrees apart.

A stop 82 is welded or otherwise fastened to the rear surface 84 of the plate 52 and extends below the lower surface 53 of the top plate 52. When the pivot plate 52 is in the first position, the rear surface 86 of the pivot plate 54 contacts the stop 82 to prevent the pivot plate from over-rotating beyond the forwardly extending position 38 away from the sidewardly extending position 42. When the pivot plate 52 is rotated to the second position, the rear surface 86 of the pivot plate 54 contacts the stop 82 preventing further rotation of the pivot plate 54. The stop 82 keeps the pivot plate 54 from over-rotating beyond the sidewardly extending position 42 away from the forwardly extending position 38.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6-8, when the footrest 30 is in a forwardly extending position 38, the head 74 of the spring pin 72 extending from the upper surface 55 of the pivot plate 54 is engaged with the aperture 78 in the lower surface 53 of the top plate 52. In this orientation the footrest 30 is secured in the forwardly extending position 38. The handle 56 may be used to pivot the footrest 30 to a sidewardly extending position 42 in which the head 74 of the spring pin 72 extending from the upper surface 55 of the pivot plate 54 is engaged or seated in aperture 80 in the lower surface 53 of top plate 52. In this orientation, the footrest 30 is in the sidewardly extending position 42.

In the first position 38, the footrest 30 may be used by a user to support his or her feet when sitting in the salon chair 10. In the second position 42, the footrest 30 is pivoted out of the way so that the user may easily get into a seated position in the salon chair 10 or into a standing position from the salon chair 10 without having to climb over the footrest 30. When in the seated position, the user can simply raise his or her legs as the footrest 30 is rotated from the second position 42 to the forward position 38 and then use the footrest 30 normally. To get up from the salon chair 10, the user can simply raise his or her legs as the footrest 30 is rotated from the first position 38 to the side position 42. When the footrest 30 is rotated to the side position 42, the user can simply stand-up and walk away from the salon chair 10 without having to climb over the footrest 30.

It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto, except in so far as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable equivalents thereof. 

1. In combination with a salon chair having a seat with a lower surface, a footrest comprising: a plate pivotally secured to the lower surface of the seat of the salon chair, a leg having a first end secured so said plate and a second end, and a foot pad secured to said second end of said leg, said leg pivotable between a generally forwardly extending position to present a foot support for a user seated in the salon chair and a generally sidewardly extending position to present an unobstructed area in front of the salon chair.
 2. The footrest of claim 1 further comprising a locking mechanism coupled to said plate to releasably secure said leg in said generally forwardly extending position.
 3. The footrest of claim 2 wherein said locking mechanism includes a spring-biased locking lever coupled to said locking mechanism to releasably secure said leg in said forwardly extending position.
 4. In combination with a salon chair having a seat with a lower surface, a footrest comprising: a pivot assembly having a top plate and a pivot plate, said top plated secured to the lower surface of the seat, said pivot plate pivotally coupled to said top plate, a leg having a first end secured to said pivot plate and a second end, and a foot pad secured to said second end of said leg, said leg pivotable between a generally forwardly extending position to present a foot support for a user seated in the salon chair and a generally sidewardly extending position to present an unobstructed area in front of the salon chair.
 5. The footrest of claim 4 further comprising a locking mechanism coupled to said pivot plate to releasably secure said leg in said generally forwardly extending position.
 6. The footrest of claim 4 wherein said locking mechanism includes a spring-biased locking lever coupled to said locking mechanism to releasably secure said leg in said forwardly extending position.
 7. The footrest of claim 4 wherein said top plate includes a pivot spud extending from a lower surface of said top plate and having a longitudinal axis, and said pivot plate includes an aperture axially aligned with said longitudinal axis of said pivot spud and adapted to receive said pivot spud.
 8. The footrest of claim 7 further comprising a fastener passing from a lower surface of said pivot plate into said pivot spud to rotatably secure said pivot plate to said pivot spud.
 9. The footrest of claim 4 further comprising a first indent in said lower surface of said top plate radially spaced from said longitudinal axis of said pivot spud, and a spring pin extending from an upper surface of said pivot plate and radially aligned with said first indent when said leg is in said generally forwardly extending position.
 10. The footrest of claim 9 further comprising a second indent in said lower surface of said top plate radially spaced from said longitudinal axis of said pivot spud, said spring pin radially aligned with said second indent when said leg is in said generally sidewardly extending position.
 11. The footrest of claim 10 wherein said first indent is spaced approximately ninety degrees from said second indent.
 12. The footrest of claim 10 further comprising a plurality of indents spaced along a radially extending arc from said first indent to said second indent.
 13. The footrest of claim 4 further comprising a handle extending radially from said pivot plate to aid in pivoting said pivot plate about said longitudinal axis of said spud.
 14. In combination with a salon chair having a seat with a lower surface, a footrest comprising: a pivot assembly having a top plate and a pivot plate, said top plate secured to the lower surface of the seat and having a pivot spud extending from a lower surface of said top plate, said pivot plate having an aperture axially aligned with said pivot spud and adapted to receive said pivot spud, and a fastener passing from a lower surface of said pivot plate into said pivot spud to rotatably secure said pivot plate to said pivot spud, a leg having a first end secured to said lower surface of said pivot plate and a second end, said leg pivotable between a generally forwardly extending position to present a foot support for a user seated in the salon chair and a generally sidewardly extending position to present an unobstructed area in front of the salon chair, and a footrest secured to said second end of said leg.
 15. The footrest of claim 14 further comprising a first indent in said lower surface of said top plate radially spaced from said longitudinal axis of said pivot spud, and a spring pin extending from an upper surface of said pivot plate and radially aligned with said first indent when said leg is in said generally forwardly extending position.
 16. The footrest of claim 15 further comprising a second indent in said lower surface of said top plate radially spaced from said longitudinal axis of said pivot spud, said spring pin radially aligned with said second indent when said leg is in said generally sidewardly extending position.
 17. The footrest of claim 16 wherein said first indent is spaced approximately ninety degrees from said second indent.
 18. The footrest of claim 16 further comprising a plurality of indents spaced along a radially extending arc from said first indent to said second indent.
 19. The footrest of claim 16 further comprising a stop secured to said top plate and adapted to engage said pivot plate when said leg is in said generally forwardly extending position and when said leg is in said sidewardly extending position to prevent said pivot plate from rotating beyond said first indent away from said second indent and beyond said second indent away from said first indent.
 20. The footrest of claim 14 further comprising a handle extending radially from said pivot plate to aid in pivoting said pivot plate about said longitudinal axis of said spud. 